Change of any kind can be difficult. And career transitions can be especially challenging, if you are out-of-work. To ensure your career transition goes as quickly, easily and smoothly as possible, I recommend that you get clear on your new career goals and write them down. This ensures your conscious mind knows exactly that you want. Ideally set an intention or create a vision board based on your goals and look at it several times each day.

Align Your Subconscious Mind to Your New Career Goals

But before we start implementing your strategy and working towards your new career goals, let’s ensure your subconscious mind is also aligned. This is a critical step because the subconscious mind is actually stronger than the conscious mind. So, if you know what you want, but don’t reprogram your subconscious mind, it won’t happen.

Many people who skip this step end up sabotaging themselves and staying stuck, or just repeating the process of finding the same type of job with the same type of issues they had before. As a result, they aren’t any happier, even after switching jobs. That’s because the subconscious mind is designed to protect you from change and encourages you to repeat your existing habits. It can be tricky to align and reprogram the subconscious mind, and it can take a long time because the subconscious mind works based on symbols and images. One of the most effective ways to shift the subconscious mind and align it with your new InspiredWork vision is using Feng Shui.

Feng Shui is a universal system that focuses on how objects affect energy, and as a result, how that energy affects you and your life. It is based on universal energy laws, so it always works – whether you believe in it or not. Personally, I’ve found Feng Shui to be a practical way to shift pain and energy, and reprogram your new intentions into your subconscious.

Part one of the Feng Shui alignment is the removal of unconscious blocks and stagnant energy from your home environment. Again, this works because your subconscious mind is molded by images and is most affected by where you spend the most time. Naturally, for most people (especially job seekers and career changers), that would be the home environment.

There are three areas in your home that can negatively impact your job search. Let’s go through each of the three job search-related areas in your home and make sure they are clean, clutter-free, and have no negative imagery or blocks. The first is the career area, and according to Feng Shui principles, it is located at the center of your home’s entrance (see Feng Shui Energy/Bagua Map below).[i] The second is the wealth area, which is located at the northwest corner of your home. The third is your home office, or the place from which you apply for jobs in your home or apartment.

Here are three easy tips for removing blocks from these areas and supporting your job search effort. First, remove all visible and hidden clutter from these areas. For example, if your bookcase is overflowing with books, that sends a message to your subconscious mind that you are overwhelmed and can’t take on anything new. That’s not a good mental program to be running when you are searching for a new job.

Second, go through each area and remove all negative imagery, or anything that symbolizes stagnation. For example, get rid of dried flowers that are over a year old. While some people like to hang onto these memories, they actually symbolize death to your subconscious mind. Also, remove any artwork that has negative imagery or makes you feel bad when you look at it. Make sure that any images of water have the water flowing into your home, versus out of it.

Third, walk through each area and look for blocks or drains of any kind that need to be removed. A block could be a poorly placed piece of furniture. Chances are your conscious mind has completely blocked out these obstacles, but they could be having a negative impact on your routine. For example, if you have to walk around a chair every time you enter your home office, it is obstructing the natural flow, and, subconsciously, it’s acting as an obstacle or block. The easiest solution is to move it out of the way and leave it there. An energy-draining piece could even be a toilet that has the lid open; you could fix it by simply keeping the lid closed.

Another type of drain is a bad position. For instance, sit at your desk and look to see if there are any sharp edges pointing at you. Sharp edges are draining to your body energetically, so you would want to shift the edge away from you or cover it so there is no drainage. Also, computers emit EMF radiation and can, therefore, drain your energy if you are sitting in front of it for a long time. Placing a live plant by the computer can help offset that drain.

Now that you have removed negative imagery and any impediments that block or drain energy from your top three job-search-related home areas, part two of the Feng Shui alignment of your subconscious mind is to use your intention to consciously energize your home environment to support your InspiredWork Vision.

First, clean the areas while mentally repeating a simple intention, such as, “I am cleaning and making room for a fulfilling new job or career that uses my gifts and generates abundance for the well-being of all.” Or, you can just read your written intention before cleaning each room so your subconscious mind gets the message that you are ready to move on.

Second, you must energize these areas by making them inviting (e.g., add a positive career image, a healthy plant, a photo of yourself smiling, or a fountain, which promotes the flow of energy).

Using Feng Shui is a very practical way to shift your energy and help align your subconscious mind to help attract your intention, and it doesn’t require an entire overhaul of your home. Try these easy switches and see what happens within a few weeks!